Fated: Drop of Tenderness
by Aurial Lyte
Summary: "Meeting you was fate; becoming your friend was a choice; but falling in love with you...that was beyond my control." Heero hits rock bottom when he discovers his lover's infidelity. While trying to pick up the pieces of his life, he meets a complete stranger who not only helps him to forgive and trust again, but unknowingly shows him what it means to truly love someone. AU, Yaoi


FATED  
~Drop of Tenderness~

Written by Aurial Lyte

A/N: Couple things I want to say before you begin reading this story. 1) The setting is semi-AU, meaning no gundams, no war, etc. BUT the colonies are still there…and this story takes place in Sanc Kingdom…although my version of Sanc is different than how it was depicted in the anime and some places I made up for the purposes of this story. 2) The G-boys are all in their early twenties. 3) Its mainly written from Heero's POV, but I do switch from time to time…don't worry, it'll be obvious. 4) There may be some OOC moments, but I'll try to keep them to a minimum...key word try. Anyway enjoy! :D

Pairings: 1x2x1 (main), 3x1, 3x4, 6+1, 6x2, 13x2, 13x5, 5+2, 3x2 (sort of), 1+R, 2+H

Warnings: AU, OOC moments, non-explicit sexual situations (I suck at writing these, so I apologize in advance!), NCS, abuse, sap, angst, and of course a little touch of humor (courtesy of our wonderful 02 pilot)

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_Meeting __you was __fate__…Becoming your friend was a choice…But falling in love with you…_

…_That was beyond my control…_

CHAPTER ONE

I could feel my lungs burning, begging me to stop or at least slow down. But I didn't want to, not yet. I wasn't far away enough. That image, now etched in my memory, was much too clear for me to handle right now.

What started out as the one of the best days of my life turned into the absolute worst. I have never felt this lost, this empty, and I couldn't even begin to figure out how to fix it. A couple hours earlier, I was genuinely happy. My application for admission to the graduate program at University had been approved. Starting in the fall, I would continue my education, pursuing a Master's in Nanotechnology. This was a milestone for me; one step closer to my ultimate goal: space. I was so happy that I just had to share it with someone...with Trowa...my best friend...my support...my lover. I rushed home to our apartment as soon as I got the chance to. I knew Trowa would be there; he told me that morning that he wasn't going anywhere for the day.

He wasn't expecting me to show up so soon...at least that's the message I got when he saw me walk in through the door. My first questions probably should've been "What the hell is going on!" or "How could you do this to me!" Instead...the first thought that registered was, "If you didn't want me to catch you fucking Quatre, then why did you choose to do it in the living room and not the bedroom? At least then you could've closed the door." I assumed they had just finished. Trowa was glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, not to mention that he was still buried inside the petite blonde underneath him. It took a mere second for them to separate and begin scrambling for their clothes. I could vaguely hear Trowa say my name and, while hastily putting his pants on, attempt some half-assed explanation of what I just saw. I didn't need an explanation. An image is worth a thousand words right? I wasn't blind, I wasn't stupid. I knew what was going on, there was nothing more that needed to be said. I didn't even want to know why; I just wanted to get away...quickly.

Before Trowa could take one step toward me, I turned and bolted out the door, not bothering to close it behind me.

"Heero, wait!" I could hear Trowa shouting my name, but I didn't stop. I quickly made it down the three flights of stairs to the first floor. Just before I could walk out the main entrance to our complex, a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. I knew in my mind that it was Trowa's, but that didn't stop me from turning around and connecting my fist to his face. I didn't want to hit him...I really didn't. But he gave me no choice. I didn't want him touching me…not now…not ever again. He released me and stumbled back. Had he not pressed against the wall for support, he probably would've fallen right on his ass. I think that was what I was hoping for. I wanted him to feel pain, even if only a little. Trowa lifted his head to stare at me. His eyes were pleading, asking me to stay and hear him out...or at least that's what I thought they were saying. Hell, he could just be shocked that I punched him, Trowa Barton, my best friend since junior high and the love of my life...not anymore. Now he was the man who deceived me and betrayed my trust. I didn't want to hear what he had to say, I didn't want to forgive him. Hesitation over, I turned and left, unintentionally pushing the door hard enough for it to smack against the wall.

I don't remember when my pace changed from a brisk walk to a maddening sprint. I don't remember when the stinging sensation in my eyes turned to tears streaming down my face. I don't think I cared; never had I felt this way. Completely broken and alone...I wanted to crawl under a rock somewhere and just die. This was not how I pictured spending my afternoon. I thought it would be relaxing...maybe even a little fun. Yes, I did think Trowa and I would have sex today...or make love...whatever you want to call it. It had been over a week since our last time, and for some reason my brain rationalized that today would be a good day to do it. A perfect end to a perfect day...God how stupid was I? He probably hadn't slept with me for a while because he was already getting his rocks off with that two-faced little…with Quatre.

By the time I was forced to stop before my lungs collapsed, I found myself a block away from the train station. Did I really run that far? A cool breeze brushed past, making me shiver a little. The clouds were turning a darker shade of gray; I guess the rain was coming a lot sooner than anticipated. The forecast called for heavy rain showers the rest of the day, and into the evening. I had planned on being home before it started...but now that that wasn't an option anymore, I needed to think of somewhere else to go. I couldn't very well stand out in the rain; and I needed a place to stay for the night. There was no way I could sleep in that apartment...not with how I was feeling now.

A tiny droplet of water touched my cheek. The rain was starting; not wasting any more time, I quickly walked the remaining block to the train station and went inside. As I made my way to the ticket booth, I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and called the only other person I trusted...correction: the only person I trusted. It took a couple rings for her to answer.

"Hey, Relena."

"_Heero, hi!" _Relena always sounded happy to me on the phone. I never could quite understand why, though. _"How are-wait...is something wrong? You sound a little upset." _Another trait of Relena's that I never could understand: how she manages to know that something's amiss even when I try my damnedest to hide it.

I shook my head. "I really don't want to talk about it right now. Umm...do you mind if I stay at your place tonight?"

"_No, not at all. Did you and Trowa have a fight? Is that what's wrong?"_

"...Sure."

"_Oh...I'm sorry. I'm sure you two will work things out as usual, though."_

"Right...anyway..."

"_Oh yeah! I'll get the spare room ready for you. Just come over as soon as you can."_

"Thanks...see ya in a little while."

"_Alright, bye." _I was next in line after I got off the phone. I purchased a ticket to downtown New Port City, where Relena resided. Her family and mine were close, which in turn, caused Relena and me to form a close bond. Growing up, our parents hoped that she and I would have some kind of romantic connection…it never panned out. What developed in its place was something akin to a sibling affection toward each other, nothing more than that. We were always there for each other: a shoulder to cry on, someone to share our accomplishments with, and our failures, in both life and love. I remember when Relena insisted that I stay with her when her high school sweetheart broke up with her the summer before college. I was stuck comforting her for 2 weeks straight while she mourned day in and day out. Hopefully I wouldn't be as bad. It wasn't like I wanted to break up with Trowa…I just couldn't handle all of this on my own.

By the time the train left the station the rain was coming down pretty hard. The pattering against the windows sounded comforting…enough to lull me into a dreamless sleep. It would take about 30 minutes to reach downtown…enough time for a much needed nap. My head hurt, and I was sure my eyes were puffy and sore. Hopefully a little rest would ease them.

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A/N: So what'd you think? I'd really appreciate any opinions you have. I know this chapter is way shorter than I normally dish out, but I did that for reason. Normally I try to write long drawn-out chapters, but halfway through I run out of steam and ideas, so I'm forced to push myself to the end. For this story each chapter stops where I feel there is a natural break, which ultimately makes the chapters shorter. But hey, I'm half-way done with this story (at least I think so), I just need to make a few edits to the chapters before I post them. I don't think I'm very good at expressing a vulnerable Heero, but I absolutely adore this type of character so I do try my best :)


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